Question

Dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) is placed inside a closed, airtight container. As it warms up, the dry ice sublimes. The container explodes a few hours later. This is an example of:

Answer 1

Sublimation is the process where dry ice turns from solid to gas, leading to an increase in pressure within a closed container until it explodes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described is an example of sublimation, which is the phase change where a substance transitions from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid phase. Specifically, dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) sublimes at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, going directly from solid to gas. We often see dry ice used as a cooling agent, where it sublimes and creates a mist when placed in a liquid because of its extremely cold temperature of -78.5°C (-109°F). In the case of the explosion, as the dry ice sublimes within the airtight container, it causes the pressure to increase until it reaches a point where the container can no longer hold the gas, leading to an explosion.